Rainbow Crew is an ongoing interview series that celebrates the best LGBTQ+ representation on-screen. Each instalment showcases talent working on both sides of the camera, including queer creatives and allies to the community.
Next up, we're speaking to We're Here hosts Priyanka and Jaida Essence Hall.
As Priyanka points out early on in our chat, We're Here has become known as "The Crying Show", and it's easy to see why.
Across each episode of the first three seasons, Drag Race legends including Eureka and Bob the Drag Queen travelled through rural pockets of America to help locals embrace queerness with love, dignity, and respect.
In the process, these drag children also found themselves again in the kind of deeply moving, tear-duct-wrenching stories that can transform the lives of people watching back home as well.
But let's not forget that there's joy to be found in these stories too. Queer, bountiful joy that shines with tears of happiness and belonging.
Seeing the queens work their magic is always vital, awe-inspiring work, but this time around, We're Here spends even longer in each space with a new cast of queens who fight to make that joy permanent through systemic change (beyond their already much-needed impact on individual queer people).
We're Here has always been so much more than just "The Crying Show" or "Drag Race meets Queer Eye," and that's never felt truer than it does in season four. To celebrate, Digital Spy spoke to new hosts Priyanka and Jaida Essence Hall in separate chats spliced together here to break down the love, adversity, and yes, joy behind the making of We're Here season four.
Instead of visiting different cities in each episode, you spend half a season in just one place, which gives you and the other queens time to make systemic change. How did you feel about this format twist?
Priyanka: I love it. Oh my God. I'm a sucker for long-form television. So when they told me that they were doing this, I was like, "Oh my God, thank God," because the hooks can be better. You're getting to know people more.
You get more invested. It's more of a journey to go on. And these cliffhangers at the end of each of these episodes are actually crazy. Am I watching Grey's Anatomy right now? Like what's happening?
Our showrunner Peter [LoGreco] did an incredible job of editing the episodes after because we shot so many scenes. We spent a month, to a month and a half, in each state and it was wild, but it was great. It's a good way to capture the true documentary style it needs to make it really real and less performative.
We don't show up to a city with big buses and big glam. We just pull up out of drag and are like, 'Wish us luck!". It's just like when we go to the local bar, when we just do drag for fun. That's real shit to get real reactions. And I'm very happy to do that because it's more my style.
Jaida Essence Hall: This is a brand new season, brand new queens, brand new format, brand new everything, and knowing that we were going to each city for a little bit longer, I fell in love with the idea.
When I watch the show, I'm always that one person who thinks so much. I would always have so many questions about the story or how these changes impacted them. But now that we spend a longer time there, we have more time to see the rise in confidence in our drag children, we have more time to see the impact of what the community is really thinking.
In some spaces, people seemed a little bit more tolerant at first, and then when they realised we were there for a while, you can tell it was starting to wear out a little bit. You see more of the reality of the space, the longer you're there.
But I think overall, the main thing that I loved the most is that it really, really gives us more time to tell the stories of our children. For example, my drag daughter Malika who you meet in the first episode. Her story was so complex and so rich. I imagine if we only went there a week, how much of what she's going through she would be able to process?
Jaida, you're in the first three episodes and then you swapped around with Latrice for the back half of the season. What can you share about that cast rotation? And would you be open to returning for future seasons?
Jaida Essence Hall: This season, as you know, we're doing a lot of different things. We're trying everything brand new. So we wanted to go in and try a different queen to see what the story is because the way in which I would interact with someone is gonna be completely different than the way Priyanka will or the way Latrice will.
Having more voices to help tell those stories is very important. So thankfully, Latrice stepped in. She has amazing stories and you get to see her heart, so I'm very happy about that.
I had a really good time, a really fun time, and I know for a fact that as long as we have the opportunity, as long as the viewers are there, and they want to make sure that we can come back and tell more stories again to uplift our community, I will absolutely be there.
To have the chance to continue being a voice for my community, it's a scary thing because a lot of people are looking up to you. But at the same time, I've got y'all because I know y'all have me, so let's make it happen.
There's a conversation in the trailer where you two and Sasha Velour are confronted by a teenage girl and her father who challenge drag and queerness from a Christian fundamentalist perspective. It looked very uncomfortable. What was that experience like for you?
Priyanka: I mean the most challenging thing was my ribs being pushed together by the corset [Laughs].
That was the first time we ever got in a more heated, tense situation with an opposing voice. And I was very uncertain of how to target it. As a role model, I often feel like saying the wrong thing is the worst thing I can ever do. So, what do I say to these people?
Do I want to win the argument? Do I want to be angry? I don't know. What's important is staying curious, and I learned from Sasha because she's had many of these conversations all the time.
The feeling was very nerve-wracking because we're always beat down as queer people, so this was a very familiar feeling. Having somebody yell at you and call you a paedophile. Like okay, it's another Tuesday. But I was like, "How do we understand this person?"
Then you ask questions and they're like, "Hello, sir." And I say, "Yeah, I am a guy." Then they get angry because that's not fair. You're supposed to play. You're supposed to fight me. You're supposed to say, "No, don't say that."
That feeling is interesting, because I'm like, "Huh. All of you are like really toxic, toxic ex-boyfriends."
Jaida Essence Hall: This family were saying a lot, a lot of disgusting things about my community, about our community, and not even just about our communities, just about people. A lot of it was misinformation.
We went outside and they said that they were willing to have a conversation with us so maybe we could better understand where they're coming from, regardless of wherever we stand on the line. We can just have a conversation. Maybe I can explain a little bit about myself to us, and maybe you can get a better understanding.
But then to be met by some people who I felt like wanted to use that opportunity to further harass and demean the community just for me was a no.
So there was a moment where I had to walk away because it's important for me, for myself, but also for queer people to see that there is a point where we should be able to have great conversation and be able to have dialogue. But then there's also a point where we should not have to be a punching bag to people.
As a Black queer man, there's been so many times where I've had people racially talk down to me. I've had people make me feel bad about me being feminine. There is a point in my life where I cannot just stand here and be a firing wall for people and the words they say.
I think that's also important for queer people out there in the world to see. Sometimes even when we're scared and people might have negative things to say about us, it's okay to be like, "You know what? I'm stepping away from this situation because I deserve better. And I am better."
Yes, opening a dialogue is important, but it can also lead to abuse, and that's not something you deserve or should stand for. None of us should. Thank you for sharing that.
Jaida Essence Hall: If you're leading a conversation that's going in about understanding, to just start off a conversation by calling somebody "sir", knowing why that is important to these people is condescending. My armour went up and just felt really disgusted. It just felt uncomfortable.
Priyanka: I had a hard time with it. I won't lie. Also, when we met with Charity, the Republican, I was thinking there's simply no way that this person will meet with us.
I'm happy that they show what they showed because I was like, "So you're telling me that as a Black woman, you support a racist political party?" I couldn't believe it. You know me, I'm a little bit spicy. I said, "I don't get it." Then it all became like, "Well, it's because of God."
I asked, "What if your daughter was a lesbian?" She said, "I wouldn't go to the wedding." And I'm like, "I don't think you'd be invited."
It's hard to not want to argue. It's hard to not want to be angry. But there is something to be said about giving grace. It doesn't mean you agree with what they're saying, but just to speak in a very calm way and let them dig their own grave.
We're Here is also about joy and I found it especially joyful in the final episode when you perform in that church together. Priyanka, what did it mean for you to bring queerness into that space in such a happy, joyful capacity?
Priyanka: 10 out of 10 would recommend doing a drag show in a church. It felt incredible. It was really cool to see everyone walk in in their drag.
My whole thing too is that we're so often like, "F**k God. God isn't real. What are you doing? The Bible this, the Bible that." But I want my queer community to be like, "Hey, if I want to believe in God and if I want to be spiritual like this, there is space for me to do so."
Because there are queer people who go to church and I want them to have space to do so. I don't want it to be another thing to divide us. I'm sick of it. There is a church out there that you can go to as a trans person, as a gay person. You can believe in God and I will support you. If you want to go pray in church every Sunday, by all means, sis.
That freedom to be yourself in any space is so key. That's the statement you made entering the church in drag, and that's what you all did throughout the series, making that conscious choice to bring your drag into typically non-queer spaces like the council meeting — and also when you applied for that government permit.
Priyanka: There's so much fighting against drag. People don't want drag queens near their kids or 'drag queens are groomers' and all this stuff. It's funny because they say it, they fight against it, but no matter what, the minute you see a drag queen, you feel joy. You cannot not look at this. They look happy. They look beautiful. They're smiling. I should be smiling too.
It was important for us to go into those spaces in full drag because they need to see that we're people, we exist. We don't have to be performing. We can just be around.
That's where they try to set up those divides, especially in Tennessee. You can do drag, but it cannot be in a public space. It's a closed-off thing. But if we call it indecent, we could arrest you. All these small rules are designed to try and push us out. But no one's saying we can't go to City Hall so I'm on my way [Laughs]
What's crazy too is that when we went to City Hall, the police officers were coming to us. All the white ladies were like, "We did pageants back in our days. We love your dress." It's funny what happens when you put it all on and just own it. Easier said than done because we are who we are and we do have cameras around us, but it just goes to show, the more representation, the better.
We had conversations where they brought up the old adage that you're going to hell and I was like, "Well, if my parents love me still, and I'm doing well and I'm happy, how am I doing something wrong?" They can't answer you.
Jaida Essence Hall: To be honest, that council meeting was so scary. I think that was the thing that I was probably the most scared about. It is one of those moments of like, "Oh my God, I'm kind of scared. Are we really doing this? Are we crazy? What are we doing?"
But the work that we're doing is not just about ourselves. We're there for a very important statement. It gives you this confidence. Even walking in there, I felt like my drag daughters were in there with me. I felt like people in the community that might not have a voice were there with me.
Then also, there were people in those meetings who were standing up for our community. I'm literally getting goosebumps thinking about it right now. There were people there, not with a camera crew, not with their sisters, not with their uniform of wardrobe and armour on. Just in there, standing up for the community.
I was like, "If they can do it, honey, we definitely better turn it."
Being in those spaces is a little weird, but you got to know what the statement is. And also, I'm a drag queen, so I do like attention if I'm being honest [Laughs]. Walking in, seeing everybody turn their heads, whether those were with faces of disgust or with a smile, it did feel fierce.
It must be really special to see queer people make a stand in these kind of environments firsthand. I can't imagine the bravery that must take and I really loved seeing love for the queer community in places where you wouldn't necessarily expect to see that. How did that impact you?
Jaida Essence Hall: Sometimes you walk into some of these spaces, even while we're doing the show, there are moments where you feel, "Oh my God, what is happening?" You kind of feel hopeless. Even on a show where we're bringing light, the reality is there are moments where you do feel scared for yourself.
When we were in that town hall, there were some people saying some really ugly things. A guy got up there and I was like, "Oh, here we go again." In my mind, everybody just wanted to poop on us all day.
But then this person got up and just started speaking for people, so many people, speaking for people that don't even look like him, people that are not from where he's from. It just made me feel really proud.
There's moments when we are in the community and you just see this person is going to be such a leader and advocate when we leave this space. Even though we didn't get to spend the most time with that person, just having a little bit of conversation with him, I thought, "Oh my God, this person is going to be so important to the people who live here. He's going to change so many people's lives."
Hopefully, knowing what we did this summer, I'm imagining how many seeds we planted and how many more people will be amazing for the community. So it makes my heart beat a little bit faster.
What are you most proud of looking back at your involvement with the show so far?
Priyanka: I would say that I'm the most proud of my solo performance in Tennessee. Doing a Bollywood song in Tennessee on American television is such a huge deal. Then performing my own country song in Nashville was also huge.
Seeing John with the two Indigenous backup dancers — who we had to really search long and hard for — seeing them wearing their regalia and John wearing her regalia, looking at that and being like, "I've never seen something like this before," made me feel so incredible, because that's what it's all about.
I remember when I was on the runway in my linga on Canada's Drag Race season one how that made people feel. I'm all about recreating that feeling for other communities, like the Indigenous, Two-Spirit community to feel seen. To feel heard. When people see me do this Bollywood song on American TV, I want them to be like, "Damn, I never thought I did it on American television". It's all these things.
Jaida Essence Hall: There were a lot of moments we had while shooting and you can't get every single thing in because we spent a lot of time with our drag kids. But there's this moment at the end where Malika said, "I'm going to miss seeing you every day."
She was so fun to be around. Her energy. Knowing everything that she's going through, that she's been through, and for her to share herself with me, to be so open, was to me the most beautiful thing from the show.
To know that I've made a friend and a sister... She's more than my drag daughter. She's my sister. Like, I text her all the time. We send each other crazy memes, crazy GIFs, and stuff like that. That was probably the moment that I was the most proud of.
Our mission there was to make change and I feel like I connected with her. Hopefully there was change there. I don't wanna speak for her vibe, but it just felt amazing.
We're Here returns on Max in the US on April 26, and streams on Sky Go and NOW in the UK.
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After teaching in England and South Korea, David turned to writing in Germany, where he covered everything from superhero movies to the Berlin Film Festival.
In 2019, David moved to London to join Digital Spy, where he could indulge his love of comics, horror and LGBTQ+ storytelling as Deputy TV Editor, and later, as Acting TV Editor.
David has spoken on numerous LGBTQ+ panels to discuss queer representation and in 2020, he created the Rainbow Crew interview series, which celebrates LGBTQ+ talent on both sides of the camera via video content and longform reads.
Beyond that, David has interviewed all your faves, including Henry Cavill, Pedro Pascal, Olivia Colman, Patrick Stewart, Ncuti Gatwa, Jamie Dornan, Regina King, and more — not to mention countless Drag Race legends.
As a freelance entertainment journalist, David has bylines across a range of publications including Empire Online, Radio Times, INTO, Highsnobiety, Den of Geek, The Digital Fix and Sight & Sound.
